


Serenade and Lullaby

by StrategicDilemma



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: CountryPunk, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Gift Giving, Guitars, Singing, Song: Mystery of Love, Songfic, wyndonshipping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-10
Updated: 2020-03-10
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:01:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,589
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23090644
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StrategicDilemma/pseuds/StrategicDilemma
Summary: Hop inadvertently asks for a gift.Songfic for "Mystery of Love" by Sufjan Stevens.
Relationships: Hop/Mary | Marnie
Comments: 4
Kudos: 25





	Serenade and Lullaby

**Author's Note:**

> This was gonna be a drabble, but oops
> 
> Whatever, this ship needs more things anyway.
> 
> God this is the sweetest shit I've ever written.
> 
> The song in this fic is "Mystery of Love" by Sufjan Stevens. I highly HIGHLY suggest listening to it, maybe while even reading this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0CP9zpbmAQ
> 
> I had to change the lyrics a bit to match Pokemon world, etc etc, sorry not sorry, it's cute

“Hey Marns, how come I’ve never heard you play?”

Marnie lifted her head from her phone. Hop was knelt by one of Piers’ old guitars he kept displayed in his and Marnie’s apartment living room, his fingers gently plucking one of the strings until he heard a soft, flat _twang_.

“What? Guitar?” she asked.

“Yeah. I mean, I know you’re from a musical family and all,” Hop’s body twisted as he turned to face her, “but it’s just weird that after all of this time, I still haven’t heard you play. Guess I haven’t heard you do _anything_ musical really.”

Marnie blushed, her back sliding lower into the couch as her shoulders came up to her ears. “I hum sometimes,” she muttered defensively.

Hop laughed lightheartedly at her, moving from his position to sit next to her on the couch. “Come on, you told me that you and your bro used to jam out together when you were younger.”

“When I was a _toddler_ ,” Marnie mumbled. “Music is more Piers’ thing, I reckon. Never been a fan of playin’ or singin’ in public.”

“You can _sing_ too??” Hop asked excitedly, which didn’t help Marnie’s blush as she sank further into the couch, hiding her face behind her phone. “Marns, I didn’t know that!”

“Cuz I didn’t _tell_ you.”

“Wow, so battling, guitar, _and_ singing.” One of Hop’s arms rested on the back of the couch, wrapping around Marnie’s spot. Bending at the elbow, his hand came down to twirl at one of Marnie’s pigtails. “You’re so amazing.”

“Oh, shut up,” Marnie sat up, letting Hop’s arm to move from the couch to her shoulders. “Could be absolute garbage for all y’know.”

“Impossible,” Hop said, smiling. “I bet you’re just as incredible at that musical stuff as you are at battling.”

Marnie frowned. “Get all flustered in front of people, you know? Even when it’s just one person.” Her hand played with one of the leather bracelets on her wrist, twisting it between her fingers. Hop had bought it for her on a whim, saying that he saw it in a window and thought she would like it.

Hop’s free hand came up to take Marnie’s fidgeting hands in his own, rubbing her knuckles between his fingers. Taking it as an invitation, Marnie rested her head on Hop’s shoulder, his arm around her squeezing her against Hop’s side. “If that ever changes, I’d love to hear you play. I’ve never been serenaded before,” he giggled, quickly pecking her forehead. Marnie couldn’t help smiling, squeezing Hop’s hand in return.

\----

After Hop left from his visit, Marnie started fiddling with Piers’ guitar on the couch, hands idly playing whatever random melody that popped in her head. A frown was permanently etched into her face as her fingers plucked at the strings.

Hop was so sweet, and he deserved the world. He had never asked for _anything_ before, even on his birthday; he would just smile and say that he was happy with the things he already had. Meanwhile, he constantly surprised Marnie with gifts and sweet gestures for no reason other than he was thinking of her. This was the _first_ time he had ever even implied that he wanted something from Marnie, and it was something that she could easily give him if she weren’t such a coward.

The door to the apartment violently burst open, a foot hanging in midair in the doorway. Piers’ head poked through after them, holding two guitar cases. “I’m home,” he said, lifting one guitar case in her direction as a greeting. Marnie nodded in acknowledgment as he kicked the door shut, resting the cases against the wall. “Wasn’t Hop gonna be ‘ere?”

“Just missed ‘im,” Marnie muttered, strumming lazily at the guitar. Piers collapsed on the couch next to her, raising an eyebrow at her as his gaze fell on his old guitar.

“Haven’t seen you play in a long time,” he said, surprise evident in his voice. “Everythin’ okay?”

Marnie groaned, her thumb catching on the bottom string as her hand fell to her thigh. Piers winced at the ugly sound it made. “Bro,” Marnie turned to him, “I wanna play a song for Hop.”

Piers chuckled, picking at the chipped polish on his fingernails. “A serenade, huh?” He gave her a warm look with a soft smile. “That’s sweet, Marn.”

“Can you help me?”

“ _Me?_ ” Piers jutted a finger at himself, embarrassment and slight discomfort on his face. “What, d’you expect me t’provide backup vocals while _you_ serenade _your_ boyfriend? Am I just supposed t’leave when you two start snoggin’?”

“No, idiot!” Marnie yelled. “Like, get better wit’ the whole ‘perfomin’ stuff. Maybe teach me a good song, I don’ know.”

“Oh.” Piers visibly relaxed, the tension leaving his shoulders. He placed a finger against his chin as he thought. “Come t’think of it, you always were a nervous performer. Ruined Mum’s shoes a few times from all that vomitin’.”

“ _Bro!_ ” Marnie squealed, her face flushed.

Piers chuckled at her reaction, patting her lightly on the head before standing up. He made his way over to one of the guitar cases he brought home, carefully setting it flat on the floor. He unlatched it and pried it open, gently lifting up a sleek, white electric guitar with his long fingers.

“Not sure if any of _my_ songs are good for a serenade,” he said, slipping the shoulder strap over his head, “but I think I know a song that would work for ya.” His hand effortlessly strummed a couple of chords. “Let’s start with learnin’, then we can try havin’ you play on a small stage, okay?”

Marnie beamed, clutching her own guitar in anticipation.

\----

The notebook Sonia gave him was supposed to be for taking notes as he read through the abstracts of the newest conference proceedings, but Hop was doodling in them instead. He started by drawing a bunch of spikes, which morphed into Marnie’s hairline, which then morphed into a full drawing of Marnie in her Gym uniform and fighting with her Morpeko as Team Yell cheered her on in the background. It wasn’t much of an art piece; Hop had never really advanced beyond drawing boxy stick figures. Still, he figured once he was done, he could text it to Marnie and hopefully make her day a bit better.

Marnie had been really busy these past couple of weeks. Usually she called or texted him once a day, but on top of training during the day, she seemed to be busy in the evenings as well. Maybe there were more Gym Challengers reaching her Spikemuth nowadays; that would be pretty exciting, seeing as not many people reached Spikemuth when Hop did his Gym Challenge. She once texted him at 1:24 AM saying she was sorry she didn’t get a chance to say to call him, but she missed him and hoped he had a good day.

He grinned as he shaded in some of the rectangles on his doodle Marnie’s wrist, representing the leather bracelets on her arm.

Marnie was the best. He would have texted her that, but he had already texted her three times today and didn’t want to overwhelm her phone.

“Hop?” Sonia’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts, and he hastily shuffled some loose paper over his doodles before scrambling out of his desk chair. Sonia was standing over in the lab’s kitchen area, stirring her tea as she gazed out the window. Hop rushed over to her side, looking at her expectantly.

“You called me?” he asked.

Sonia gave him a smirk over the lip of her teacup. “You may want to take an early lunch.”

“Why?”

She shrugged. “I have a hunch.” When Hop gave her a confused look, Sonia just gestured toward the window with her chin before strutting away, humming in tune with the clack of her heels against the tiled floor. He watched her leave, then turned his head to look out the window. Across the street, a crowd of people were gathering in front of the train station. Some were familiar, citizens of Wedgehurst or people from neighboring towns, but even those just stepping off the train were standing around, their suitcases lying forgotten at their feet.

_Huh?_

Rushing out of the lab, he hurried over to the crowd. The muffled sound of a guitar chord filled the air, followed by a quiet pause and another guitar chord, this time louder and clearer.

Hop pushed to the front of the crowd to find, to his shock, his own girlfriend.

Her hair was up in her usual pigtails, but each pigtail was a collection of thin little braids, hanging from her head like thin tassels. She wore an oversized black sweater with the sleeves pushed up past her elbows, the neckline falling slightly off her shoulder and the bottom hem tucked into the top of her acid washed jeans.

An acoustic guitar hung from a shoulder strap in front of her torso, hooked up to a small amplifier at her feet. A small set of speakers sat on the opposite side of the amp. A mic stand stood at the tips of her toes, and she was too busy fiddling with it to notice Hop’s arrival.

“Marnie?” Hop’s tone was incredulous.

She looked up at him and, by her reaction, was pleasantly surprised. “Hop!” she replied, stepping over the amp to come close to him. “Just ‘bout t’text you. Great timing.”

“What’s going on?” Hop asked, cocking his head. “What’s all this about??”

“It’s a gift!” Her face split into a bright smile, and Hop felt his heart thump in his chest. She was so _cute_. “You asked me for it, and ‘ere it is!”

“A gift?” Hop repeated, wracking his brain to try to remember what he had asked for. She pressed a quick peck to his mouth before retreating back behind the mic stand. Adjusting it one more time to match her new position, she took a deep breath, closing her eyes.

“Uh, ‘ello everyone,” she said into the mic, her usually gentle voice amplified through the speaker system. “Don’t usually do this sort of thing, yeah, but it’s a special occasion. Been workin’ on this for a little bit, yeah.” Her voice was a bit shaky from nerves, and she forced another deep breath. “Sorry if I’m a bit nervous, my bro usually does this sorta thing.” Several people in the crowd laughed, knowing Piers’ reputation well. She looked right at Hop, who was watching her intently, curiosity filling his wide eyes. She smiled at him, strumming a chord with her thumb. The noise was clear through the speakers, and she nodded to herself.

Closing her eyes, she began to play.

Her finger movements were fast as she plucked at each string, her left hand shifting constantly on the fretboard to change the notes. However, despite her rapid movements, the resulting sound was surprisingly soft, as though it was being carried through Wedgehust by a breeze. For a few measures, Wedgehurst was silent except for the melodic rhythm of Marnie’s playing. Stepping close to the mic, Marnie, keeping her eyes closed, took a quick breath before she began to sing:

_“Oh, to see without my eyes,_

_The first time that you’ll kiss me_

_Boundless by the time I cried,_

_I built your walls around me”_

Her singing was as gentle as her playing, almost intimate in how the words came out like whispers. Quiet murmurs fell across the crowd, shock at how _elegant_ her voice was compared to her brother’s. Hop’s jaw was essentially on the ground as he gaped at her. Now, he _loved_ Piers’ music, the harsh rock and roll filled in by Piers’ impressive vocal range, but there was no way for him to expect _this_. Just like her brother, her accent seemed to disappear within the musical notes of her singing. He could just barely pick up the slight hints of it on certain words, and something about that made him incredibly happy.

Marnie’s eyebrows tensed, her eyes fluttering as she reached the chorus:

“ _Oh, woe-oh is me,_

_The first time that you’ll touch me_

_Oh, will wonders ever cease?”_

Her eyes opened to gaze at Hop, focusing her attention on him.

“ _Bless-ed be the mystery of love.”_

A knot formed in Hop’s throat, and suddenly it was hard to swallow. His chest felt full, and he could feel his heart pounding as he placed a hand on it. Marnie’s gaze was soft, a blush forming on her cheeks as she filled the air with measures of her beautiful guitar, the fast movements of her hands never slowing as she plucked each note.

The crowd seemed just as transfixed as Marnie picked up the second verse. She played with her eyes mostly closed, and anytime they were open, they were on him. Hop could have been alone in a room with her or watching her in Wyndon Stadium, it didn’t matter; he couldn’t look away from her for one second.

“ _Oh, woe-oh is me,_

_I’m running like a Stantler_

_Now, I’m prone to misery,_

_The birthmark on your shoulder reminds me”_

After a few more measures of fast-paced playing, her hands slowed, the melody slowing as it became simpler. Her eyes were transfixed on Hop, her icy blue irises mesmerizing.

“ _How much sorrow can I take?_

_Murkrow on my shoulder_

_And what difference does it make_

_When this love is over?”_

Hop could feel the sting of tears prickling at his eyes as the knot bobbed in his throat. He clutched at his shirt.

“ _Shall I sleep within your bed?_

_River of unhappiness_

_Hold your hands upon my head,_

_Till I breathe my last breath.”_

Her grip on the guitar tightened, her eyes tightly shut as she breathed out the last words on the song.

“ _Oh, woe-oh is me,_

_The last time that you’ll touch me_

_Oh, will wonders ever cease?_

_Bless-ed be the mystery of love.”_

Her fast fingerpicking returned as she closed out the song with the original melody, and the crowd slowly started erupting with cheers and applause. Hop gasped as he was brought back to the present, suddenly surrounded by _many_ more people than he remembered. Tears were streaming down his face, and he sniffed, bringing up a hand to rub at his runny nose.

Marnie was breathing heavily, and her knees knocked together as she looked around at the crowd. She must have been just in much of a trance as he had been, as she looked shocked at how many people were cheering for her. Her eyes fell on him and panic filled her expression.

Hop rushed towards her as she slipped the guitar strap off her shoulders. She met him halfway, grasping at his shoulders as he choked on a sob. “Hop? Hop?? Why are you cryin’??” she fretted, her accent coming back from its vacation. Hop wheezed, the tears just not stopping.

“T-th-the _song!!_ ” he cried out, grabbing her face. “A-a-and the _p-_ playing, and th-the _crowd_ , and, and a-and _you…!!!”_ He pressed several forceful kisses around her face over and over, and her expression softened as she wrapped her arms around him. He paused to wipe his face off again as he whined, and Marnie returned the favor by covering his tear-stained cheeks in kisses.

“Thank you,” he squeaked out, pulling their foreheads together. “You’re amazing, thank you. Thank you, I love you, thank you. Thank you, you’re incredible. Thank you.”

**Author's Note:**

> This is now the THIRD FIC I've written that has been inspired by this damn song.
> 
> Original lyrics:  
> "I'm running like a Stantler" = "I'm running like a plover"  
> "Murkrow on my shoulder" = "Blackbird on my shoulder"
> 
> Tumblr: https://strategicdilemma.tumblr.com/  
> Bederia server: https://discord.gg/c4p2KVS  
> Twitter: https://twitter.com/stratsdilemma


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